List of my Favorite Grandma Sayings
Who doesn't love a good grandma saying, or a "Grannyism" as I like to call them?
Growing up my grandma had some good ones. My mom, sisters and I love reminiscing about all the gems that came from Gram's mouth. Nothing takes us back in time to sitting on her Davenport (couch) like dropping a "Heavens to Betsy" or an "Oh dear" now and then.
Below is a list of my favorite Grannyisms that are too good to let fade away over time.
Thanks for the help from my mom, sisters and mother-in-law for these. I googled any I wasn't sure of (there were quite a few!) There were some that were straight up inappropriate that I removed from the list. But most of them are just sweet, honest or hilarious.
1. Heavens to Betsy
2. Oh dear
3. Oopsie daisy
4. You're barking up the wrong tree
5. I need that like I need a hole in the head
6. Goodness Gracious
7. That's My Cup Of Tea
8. I'll Be There With Bells On
9. Kick Up Your Heels
10. Happy as a Clam in High Water
(One of my favorites, thanks Maryann!)
11. Bless your heart
12. Be Still My Heart
13. You're The Cat's Meow
14. Don't be a Wisenheimer
(I'm bringing this one back immediately. I live with three of them)
15. Well, There’s no Accounting for Taste
16. Rise and shine
17. Up and at 'em!
18. Bright eyed and bushy tailed
(I learned this is actually referring to a squirrel- who knew!)
19. Do you have any gentleman callers?
20. Well, there’s no accounting for taste
21. A little bird told me
22. I've got a bone to pick with you
23. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
24. I've got to go see a man about a dog
(If you want to leave somewhere but don’t want to say why- and yes, I am SO using this one)
25. Burning the candle at both ends
26. Unmentionables
27. Mad as a wet hen
27. Dressed to the nines
28. The whole 9 yards
29. Don’t let them pull the wool over your eyes.
30. Mind your Ps and Qs
(This one is a personal fav that my mother still says to this day to my kids. I always thought it had something to do with eating all your vegetables when invited to a friends house. But turns out it refers to keeping track of how many pints and quarts you have consumed at the pub so you don't end up drunk. I'm pretty sure Gram had no idea about the origin of this one!)
31. Don’t throw the Baby out with the Bath Water
32. Straight from the Horse’s Mouth
33. Mind your own Bee’s Wax
34. You're No Spring Chicken
35. There's No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk
36. Well for Pete's sake!
37. That's enough from the peanut gallery
38. A Bee in your bonnet
39. Hush your Mouth
(Thanks Nene!)
40. A Penny for your Thoughts
Towards the end of my Gram's life she couldn't hear very well and assumed you didn't hear her either. Now those were good ones! Oh, and if any of these have some other not-so-kind meaning to them, I apologize. I did do research on them, but several had multiple interpretations!
Now be good, you little whippersnappers.
Annie xo
Original Post March 14, 2022